


Persephone

by TheLittleMuse



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 16:38:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14877458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleMuse/pseuds/TheLittleMuse
Summary: Persephone is determined to find out just what is so fascinating about this mortal who has caught her husband's eye, so she goes to visit Harry Dresden. Harry is just annoyed another goddess is interested in him. That rarely ends well.





	Persephone

Persephone watched her husband oversee the restoration, a look on his face that she had not seen in, how long? A thousand years, perhaps. The other gods would often sponsor heroes in the times of old (often with their loins), but Hades was more circumspect, showing his hand once or twice, to push here or there.

The gods were weak now. As with all of their kind it was belief that made them strong and so few now believed. It was Athena who had saved them, making sure their names had appeared in a thousand textbooks and spoken in the great stories. But it wasn’t the same as belief. Many of the lesser gods now slept and it was rare that the Underworld received a new soul. The gods couldn’t play with mortal lives as they once had, but something had made Hades take an interest in Harry Dresden.

Persephone was determined to find out what.

 

…

 

Persephone found Harry Dresden at his office. She gained entrance easily enough by pretending to be one of his clients, although he recognised her as a non-human almost as soon as she walked in. She never was good at hiding her aura. Spring just flowed off her.

He tensed, raising his defences, “Please,” he said, “if you’re going to attack leave the office intact. I haven’t finished paying off the deposit.”

She sat on the opposite side of his desk and looked around the room. It was … serviceable, which was about the best that could be said for it. “Did you not take enough from my husband’s vaults, wizard?” she asked. “Your workplace is somewhat … lacking.” Admittedly it wasn’t the most tactful thing she could of said, but she had been expecting something grander from the wizard who had caught her husband’s eye.

The wizard’s eyes widened, “I’m guessing you’re Persephone,” he said slowly. At least he caught on quick enough. Some mortals stubbornly denied her existence even when she appeared before them. It was vexing. “Are you angry at me? I know I destroyed a couple of pillars, but I was being attacked at the time.”

“That would not have happened if you had not invaded my husband’s realm.” She enjoyed his panicked look for a guilty second, before saying, “I am not angry, although I asked a question, mortal.”

“I took plenty, goddess, it’s not your business what I spend it on.”

“One might claim it’s exactly my business, since they were my diamonds,” said Persephone.

The wizard was silent for a long moment until he said, “Why do you care about my office?”

“Because I would wish to get the measure of you, Harry Dresden. My husband finds you worthy, and so I am curious.”

To Persephone’s endless surprise Harry started banging his head against his desk, “Why?” he said, “Why do I keep attracting the attention of you … you _gods_?”

“Most mortals would be honoured to have attracted the attention of a god,” she said lightly.

“Some people have no sense of self-preservation. Admittedly that includes me, but come on! I didn’t know I had it so good when I was young. So I could be knocked over by a stiff wind and I had Morgan on my ass day and night, but generally the worst I had to deal with was a grumpy troll. Now I’m the plaything in the politics of Mab and all you people,” he said, the bitterness leaking from him.

“And yet you ran into the Underworld. I cannot say that was exactly hiding from the attention of the gods.”

“That was Mab’s fault. I didn’t have a choice in the matter.” Persephone hid a smile. He just sounded so … peeved. It was not the tone mortals generally used when speaking of the Queen of Air and Darkness. Usually it was more fear or a deadly fascination.

Persephone leant back. As the Queen of the Underworld it was her job to know men’s souls and she was beginning to see Harry Dresden’s.

“That is why you keep the drab office. You wish for,” she waved her hand, “anonymity. Or so you claim.”

“Or so I claim?”

“You rail against being forced into the Underworld, yet you gained so much from it. Not just riches, but victory over your enemies. You cannot say that was not enjoyable.”

Harry gave a small smile. “Yes,” his smile faded. “But Mab and the Mantle are destroying my mind and when Nicodemus comes for his revenge…”

“There are many mortals who would willingly embrace the power of the Winter Knight for the small price of their mind.”

“Not me,” growled Harry.

“And yet you did.”

“I didn’t do it for power. I did it to-” he cut himself off abruptly, looking away.

“To save a child. The whole world knows, Harry Dresden. You did it for power, the semantics are meaningless.”

Harry smiled. It slashed across his face and held no true happiness, “Is it wrong to want to protect my friends? To protect the ones who can’t protect themselves? Power isn’t always negative. You should know that, _goddess_. And desiring two contrary things is a wholly mortal pastime, it’s not unusual.”

Persephone gave a low hum, “I was never accusing you, Harry Dresden. I do not condemn you for seeking power. That was _you_. But you fear it, don’t you? The pull. It tugs on your soul. Why?”

Harry was silent for a long moment before answering, “You were right. It felt good to make them pay. It felt really, _really_ good.”

He was silent again and Persephone suddenly gasped, a sound of pure delight. “But your friend got hurt and your child may be in even more danger. And that is it, isn’t it, Harry Dresden? The terrible paradox. You need power to protect the ones you love, but doing so attracts the attention of such beings you would rather not see you. _Oh,”_ she leaned over the desk and stroked the side of his face with one long, pale finger, “I see why my husband is so fascinated by you.”

Persephone rose and left. Behind her she heard Harry Dresden’s head hit his desk once more and she laughed.

 

…

 

Persephone re-entered the Underworld, pausing only to scratch Cerberus on all of his three heads. “Where have you been, my love?” boomed Hades from the other side the hall as he oversaw the shades. She moved to his side.

“I was visiting your new mortal plaything. I wanted to see what had caught your eye.”

“And your conclusion, love?”

“Interesting, definitely. Almost a shame Mab got to him before you did.”

Hades waved a hand, “Oh, no, I have no need of a Knight. Besides, do you know what she had to do to get him to accept? He hates being bound to her and so he resists her at every turn. A servant like that? Terrible. Mab might enjoy the game, but I would not. No, I have done something Mab never could.”

Persephone frowned, “What is that?”

Hades leaned in as if imparting a great secret, “He likes me. He does not trust me, obviously, but-”

“Harry Dresden goes to great lengths for those he considers friends,” said Persephone, a smile creeping across her face.

“Whether consciously or unconsciously he would favour me, should the time come. And I do like him.” His eyes diminished, “It is a shame I shall not see him in the Underworld. Especially as he is one who has courted Death once before. A shade like that…”

Persephone smiled. Her husband had the expression of a particularly enthusiastic collector. “But it was Mab who saved him, wasn’t it?” she asked, “Surely there cannot be anything too spectacular about his soul.”

Hades shook his head, “It was a hundred things coming together. There have been things moving all that mortal’s life. Many I cannot see,” he said. “Odin probably knows. That Norse always had a way of getting information,” he grumbled. Hades had been one of the gods that had retained their power, Death, after all, never slept, but it was even harder to get information down in the Underworld these days, and information was lifeblood.

“Either way, Harry Dresden will be very interesting to watch.”


End file.
